1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for automatically ascertaining the information needs of a user of an information retrieval system, including but not limited to a user of a Web search engine.
2. Background
Addressing user's information needs has been one of the main goals of Web search engines since their early days. In some cases, users cannot see their needs immediately answered by search results, simply because these needs are too complex and involve multiple aspects that are not covered by a single Web or search results page. This typically happens when users investigate a certain topic in domains such as education, travel or health, which often require collecting facts and information from many pages. These types of activities may be referred to as “research missions.” It has been observed that these “research missions” may account for as much as 10% of users' sessions and more than 25% of all query volume.
It would be advantageous if such “research missions” could automatically be identified as they are being conducted and with a high degree of accuracy. Since these “research missions” may account for a substantial percentage of all query volume, recognizing and answering user needs for such a large percentage of user queries would enhance a user's experience. Whereas conventional systems tend to examine individual queries, identification of “research missions” would lead the Web search engine to understand a user's intent behind otherwise unrelated queries. By automatically identifying “research missions,” and thus understanding the user's intent, the Web search engine could actively provide specialized searches, research tools, directed ads, marketplace event(s), and/or other features to address the user's needs.